


Lonely Daughter

by EnemyMine



Series: Wants, needs and realities [4]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Study, Gen, Not Episode Related, POV Female Character, Season/Series 04, but set after s04e15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 22:23:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6212458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnemyMine/pseuds/EnemyMine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of the investigation into NCIS after "Deep Six" had been published, Ziva had been given a choice. She reflects on it and her reasoning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lonely Daughter

**Author's Note:**

> Again not sure about catching the voice of the character. I really tried to insert a few Ziva-isms, but ironically since I'm not a native speaker it was particularly hard to find ways to do so.

Dubai was hot this time of year. Unlike Washington D.C., where fall had been slowly turning into winter and it wouldn't do to leave the house without a hat and scarf. Not that Ziva David left her small apartment in the Naval Housing Facilities for members of the US Navy stationed in the country without a scarf these days. It was after all custom in the United Arabic Emirates for women to wear decent clothing. Since she with her Israeli heritage looked a lot more domestic than the usual personnel, she had soon started to adhere to it to stop trouble before it could occur.

Ziva was not happy about it. She was used to use all her assets to the best of her abilities for the sake of a mission, which included her body. She had honed her body to be a weapon in all possible scenarios. Deadly in that it was lithe but strong, limber, but not easily broken. Sensual but not to curvy – something that would attract way to many curious looks. Which would never do, if you needed to make an undetected get away. She felt bereft for not being able to use it.  
But Dubai didn't offer her any opportunities anyway. The housing was on a small military base, which followed the typical structures of every US military base on this planet. Houses in neat rows, office buildings, storage spaces, car park, PX. Nothing much, just enough. Ziva was prohibited from leaving the base unless granted leave by her new CO. 

She felt like a bird in kilted cage. But it was still better than the alternative of being deported back to Israel, being brought back into the fold and having to work missions with dubious endings. Not to mention the displeasure of Abba of failing her original mission within NCIS.  
Ziva might not be able to keep a close look on Gibbs anymore and run interference with his team when needed, but she still had a foot in the door. It might be tedious but there was still the possibility to return back to the US and reclaim her former position at the Navy Yard. Not that Abba was willing to hear about that just yet. It would not do for the daughter of the director of Mossad to renounce her Israeli citizenship, to sever all ties with her land and naturally the intelligence service and practically defect. If only on paper. 

No, she was not a happy damper. Everything had worked out fine until Gibbs got blown up. But even then she thought, she had gained the upper land, when she had managed to get to him in the hospital before Abby, Tim or, that really would have thrown a donkey wrench in her plans, Tony.  
This way she had been the one to trigger his memories and at the same time make him feel indebted to her again, maybe even more than before once he had cleared his head. But instead of returning back to business as usual, Gibbs had run to Mexico and had left Tony in charge.  
Of all people!  
Still, with her connections to Jenny, Ziva thought it would only be a matter of time, when she had whispered enough doubts into her ears and at the same time managed to have Abby and Tim openly revolt against Tony, that the director would leave her in charge. At least until a permanent, befitting for her plans of course, solution could be found.  
The Israeli operative knew, that she had no realistic legal claims to a position of leadership at NCIS – it would also hinder her mission more than it would do her good. Too many watchful eyes, if were closer to the top. No, but she desperately needed to get Tony away from that position. As much as he was just a dumb jock, he had an uncanny streak of sheer dumb luck when it came to stumble across clues. Otherwise he would have never stay as long on Gibbs' team as he had. Even the team leader could not stand all that joking, pranking and spouting off unrelated facts about movies at the most inopportune moments. Evident in all the headslaps he doled out frequently. Not that Tony ever learned anything from being hit on the head.

Those headslaps were something the spy was surely not missing. The only reason she allowed them to happen to her in the first place, was to instill more fatherly feelings in the older male toward her. Have him being able to correct her, but in a way that made him always be aware, that she was not some porcelain doll, that would break to easily. That was Abby's role and it would not do for the goth to develop jealousy for Ziva. From her dossiers and through personal observations she knew all to well, that only those Abby deemed acceptable had even a chance gaining the teamleader's trust. No matter the debt Gibbs owed her for shooting Ari.  
That was a professional courtesy. Hence why she had the all-clear from Abba for that course of action. Personally she would have preferred a solution without having to take down her last sibling, but Ari truly had stepped over the line and the had been no way to salvage the mission otherwise. Gibbs dossier clearly stated his eye for an eye-policy when it came to people he considered family. Not that Ziva understood his personal investment with his female team member, but Agent Caitlyn Todd had fulfilled that role. So Ari had to die. Mercy on his soul!

Tony leaving normally would have fit nicely into her plans. It should have imbedded her even deeper in the trust of the returning Gibbs. Tim had already been wrapped around her pinky and the team leader clearly was not as recovered as he wanted to look. So between her manipulations and Tim's following, it should have been easy to oust Tony from the team on her terms.  
Instead the damn frat-boy shot her carefully laid plans all to hell and just left on his own. One day he was there and the next his desk had been cleaned out. When she had entered the bullpen Gibbs was already in the middle of a staring contest with the newly assigned Senior Field Agent.  
A very unwelcome surprise by the way. The assassin had been so sure, that Tim would permanently promoted to that position. All her plans were build around putting that human sized puppy there. Too late she learned of his inability to fill the role even during Tony's lackluster leadership and the actual requirements of that position.

It could not been helped. Gibbs chased away two different SFAs, before Jenny had put her foot down and ordered him to accept that Tony would not come back. Which was a month after the class-clown had left with his tail between his legs.  
Only then Ziva managed to get her mission back on track. But then her personal lapdog started messing up massively. There was no way to cover for him, when he interfered into the investigation of his sister. But the berry on top was that book he had written. Everything came tumbling down afterwards.

Within weeks the internal investigation ordered by SecNav had ousted Jenny from office and with it the only reason for Ziva's liason position. While McGee had been immediately suspended, they had offered her a choice between two evils with a longer transitioning period. But only because the MCRT was already a man short and they could not risk to have it permanently out of commission.  
To the best of her abilities, Ziva tried to use these months to adjust her plans, to find a solution, but to no avail. Due to various “interviews” she knew, she was under scrutiny. It always came back to her legal status as Israeli and officer of Mossad. They questioned her loyalty to NCIS, her knowledge of US laws and procedures and so on and so forth.  
During that whole time she could barely talk to her contacts, because not only were her – listed – matters of communication monitored but she herself had acquired a persistent shadow. She still had, only since she barely was able to leave the base it was not as blatantly obvious. Ironically.

Well, as much as the unforeseen desertion of Gibbs' former loyal Saint-Bernard had hindered her endeavor, they still had made a bit head-way. The agency was struggling and it would not need much at this time to have its attention bound completely on internal matters.  
Her time would come. And Abba would be proud of his daughter again.


End file.
